The Art of Firendship
by zutarakid50
Summary: Takes place after the war. Aang visits Ozai in his cell. What does he want? One-shot


* * *

A scraping sound of a door opening echoed through the cell followed by the light tap of footsteps on the metal floor. The door closed and Ozai looked up. It had been 6 weeks since his defeat and Ozai had hardly changed. He eyes still held the golden hate he felt toward his son and brother. Despite being powerless without his fire bending, Ozai still held the air of a man once seemly invincible. Some of his guards still feared him: his only comfort in his defeated state. As the ex-Fire Lord's eyes saw who stood on the other side of his bars, he glared distastefully.

"Avatar." He said in greeting.

"Ozai." Avatar Aang bowed his head slightly. This act of respect surprised Ozai.

Not that he would show such in front of his enemy.

Even though Ozai could no more attack the boy than he could metal bend his cage, Aang had brought his staff into the room as well as something he held to his chest that the dim sunlight would not let Ozai see.

"So have you come to gloat my defeat or to finish what you started six weeks ago?"

"If I wanted to kill you, I would have. You should be happy I showed you mercy." Ozai scoffed at this. If stripping him of his title and throwing him in a prison was the Avatar's idea of 'mercy'…

"Then what brings you to my corner of hell?" Ozai asked.

Aang hesitated. Then he sat down facing the bars and set his mystery item next to him. "This might sound strange to you, _especially_ to you, but I hate to have someone who doesn't even know me hate me so much." Ozai followed Aang's hand where is rested on what he now recognized as a stack of papers of various colors. "So, I though maybe we could…get to know each other better?"

Ozai stared at the 12 year old. _No one's _this_ stupid._ He thought in disbelief. _He can't possible think he can make _everyone_ like him! That's ridiculous! _But Aang showed no sign of lying to the ex-Fire Lord. In fact, he was smiling hopefully. _And I was defeated by _this? "No." He replied, turning away. "Absolutely not."

"Aw, come on!" Ozai ignored the Avatar's pleas. "I thought we could do some origami! I brought paper and everything!" Ozai glared at him over his shoulder and smirked when Aang scooted back some. Ozai turned back to his wall, satisfied that the boy would leave.

Instead he heard paper shuffling.

"I'll teach how to make a phoenix!" Aang said tauntingly and Ozai turned fully around to see that Aang was waving a sheet of square red paper at him, himself hold a green sheet with his other hand. The air bender slipped the paper through the bars and placed it on the ground in front of Ozai.

"I said no, Avatar."

But Aang did not give up. "Come on; make a paper friend!" Ozai rolled his eyes. He had no use for friends before and did not wish to start now.

Although it _would_ be cool to be able to make a phoenix…

If anything it would pass the time…

And it _did_ get really boring in his cell…

"Fine." Aang's face brightened immediately as Ozai picked up the paper.

"Ok! First you fold the paper here, see? Then this corner comes up to here…"

A few minutes later Ozai was struggling.

"Accursed paper!" Ozai yelled, ripping up his failed bird and wishing he could ignite it. He grit his teeth at Aang who was scared stiff. "You! You merely sought to further humiliate me!"

"No, no! You just folded a part wrong! Let's start again." He handed Ozai a yellow sheet and Ozai ripped it angrily from his hands. Aang placed his perfect phoenix down and stood up. "Maybe you'll get it better if we do this…"

* * *

A while later, Sokka walked down the hall to where two guard flanked Ozai's cell door.

"Hey, Sokka." Said one with a small bow. Sokka smiled at this.

Ever since Zuko had become Fire Lord, Sokka and the others had been treated with far more respect, seeing as they were friends of mister ruler-of-a-country himself.

"Hey, Li. Is Aang still in there?" He pointed at the door of the cell.

"Yeah, nothing's happened though. No screams or cries of pain so I guess everything's fine."

"You 'guess'?"  
"Avatar Aang told us not to look inside unless we had a reason. There hasn't been any reason so far so…"

"It's not like Loser Lord can do anything anyway. Am I right?" Sokka laughed and jabbed his guard friend in the chest with his elbow.

'Uh, yeah, heh-heh…" It was clear that Li still had mixed thoughts about insulting his former lord. Sokka sighed.

"Well 'The All Powerful Avatar' hasn't told me not to go in sooooo!" And before Li could do anything, Sokka brushed passed him into the small metal room. "So how's the Loser Lord doing these- AANG! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Ozai and Aang looked up.

"Teachin' Ozai origami." If Sokka had thought it was weird that Aang was, in fact, _behind_ the bars sitting _right next _to Ozai, he was thoroughly freaked out by the reasoning behind it. Ozai held out his bird to Sokka, too much in a state of accomplishment to recognize Sokka as the teen who had mocked him on the day of Sozin's Comet.

"I made a phoenix!" He proclaimed happily.

Sokka started back confused. "Riiiiiggght…" And with that, he turned and left.

"What's his name?"

"Does it need one?"

"Sure he does! How about-" Sokka covered his ears and ran down the hall.

* * *

This is something I actually wanted to draw buuut…

Jet: She sucks at drawing. (gets glared at by author) Sorry, there's not way around it.

So I decided to write it instead! I thought it turned out great!

Jet: Zutarakid50 does not own anything in the story, apart from the plot.

Not true! I made up guard Li. He's MINE!

Li: Thanks for the original name, not!

SHUT UP! (pulls on dog leash) I know it's just a one-shot but please review. If you do I'll love you forever!! And by the way, don't forget 'Older Shorty". For crying out loud at least LOOK at it!

I rule Hyrule,

Kimono


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